Description
Castelnau Recreation Ground predates the amalgamation of Barnes within Richmond Council and has some of hedging reminiscent of older hedgerow. It is a small park behind housing, hedged to the boundaries and laid to grass, with undulating paths, shrubs and ornamental grasses, but with no mature trees. Facilities include a popular paddling pool. The entrance is through utilitarian metal gates.
Practical Information
| Site location | Washington Road/Barnes Avenue |
|---|---|
| Postcode | SW13 9AA |
| What3Words | ///fork.gifted.crown |
| Type of Site | Public Park |
| Borough | Richmond |
| Open to Public | Yes |
| Opening Times | Mon - Sat: 7.30am - dusk/Sun & Bank Hols: 9am - dusk |
| Facilities | Playground, paddling pool (open summer months) |
| Public Transport | Tube: Hammersmith (Metropolitan & City, Piccadilly) then bus. Bus: 33, 72, 485 |
| Research Updated | 1 November 2010 |
| Last Updated | 18 October 2026 |
Further Information
| Grid Reference | TQ223774 |
|---|---|
| Size in hectares | 1.16 |
| Site Ownership | LB Richmond |
| Site Management | Environment Planning & Review, Parks and Open Spaces |
| Dates | C20th |
| On National Heritage List for England (NHLE), Parks & Gardens | No |
| Registered common or village green on Commons Registration Act 1965 | No |
| Protected under London Squares Preservation Act 1931 | No |
| Local Authority | Richmond |
| In Conservation Area | No |
| Tree Preservation Order | No |
| Nature Conservation Area | No |
| Green Belt | No |
| Metropolitan Open Land | No |
| Special Policy Area | No |
| Other LA Designation | Open Land of Townscape Importance |
Please note the Inventory and its content are provided for your general information only and are subject to change. It is your responsibility to check the accuracy.
Nearby parks and gardens
The Wetland Centre was built by The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust on the site of the former Barn Elms reservoirs owned by Thames Water, prior to which the land was used for market gardens and allotments, and it had formerly been part of the Barn Elms estate. The four concrete reservoirs had become redundant due to the building of the Thames Water Ring Main; Thames Water wished to use the land sympathetically and at that time Sir Peter Scott, founder of WWT, was looking for a site within London for a WWT Centre. Work to create the Wetlands Centre took c. 5 years and it opened in May 2000. Outside the Peter Scott Visitor Centre is a bronze sculpture of Scott with two Bewick's Swans by Nicola Godden.
There has been a church in Barnes since medieval times, a small flint chapel pre-dating the present church of St Mary built in the C12th. The church was enlarged over the years but in 1978 it was gutted by fire and was rebuilt in 1982-84 although its C15th tower survived. Until the mid C19th the churchyard was probably the only consecrated ground in the parish; burials ceased when the churchyard was full and land for a cemetery was enclosed on Barnes Common. The church lych-gate was built for the coronation of Edward VII in 1903. The war memorial was unveiled by Field Marshall Earl Haig in 1921. During restoration of the church following the 1978 fire, the churchyard was neglected but in 1984 restoration of the garden began. A seasonal garden has been created with an emphasis on beauty of foliage and harmony of colour, choosing plants with Biblical associations.
The origins of the Thames Path date from the 1750s onwards as the riverside towpath established by the Thames Commissioners when the Thames was an important trade route to London. In the C20th leisure use replaced trade and much of the old towpath is now the Thames Path, a national trail that opened in 1996 following the river from its source in the Cotswolds to the Thames Barrier. It represents important open space in the boroughs through which it passes, and in Hammersmith & Fulham it runs from the end of Chiswick Mall (Hounslow) in the west to Chelsea Creek (Kensington and Chelsea) in the east.